FIGS

Towards the end of July each year, one of my favourite fruits begin to ripen in the walled garden.

When we bought the house and garden there was an enormous Brown Turkey fig against the south facing wall. Each year we have had lots and lots of lovely juicy figs. 

I took a cutting from the fig which had rooted itself in the ground and I now have another fig on an east facing wall in the fruit cage.

These plant do need controlling a bit with pruning in June and July to prevent the new growth from getting too long.

Last year the one on the south wall had grown so much that it was blocking the way into the greenhouses, so a rather drastic prune was required over winter.

Last week I picked the first ripe fruit from the smaller tree in the fruit cage, it weighed a whopping 77grammes, then picked 3 more equally large this week.

Plenty more to come over the next 5 or6 weeks

A new experience

The garden is just over an acre, with many different areas including the vegetables and flowers, shrubs and trees. I have also put various art works in the garden, some I made myself, stone carved owl, willow hare various constructions made from old clay plant pots. There are also others artists work from the local potter, a galvanised leaping hare, a huge metal cow parsley and the latest, a wonderful cuddle seat made by Nik Burns.

                                                                Ramsey and Baa'bara

Last week a new experience. We were videoed in our garden, I was talking about 5 of my favourite areas in the garden, I could have included at least double that!.

The video was to promote the wonderful gardening trousers from Genus. I bought my first pair six or more years ago and have worn them almost everyday since. I now have several pairs, different colours and summer as well as winter ones. Soon to be on you tube and instagram!! a slightly scary prospect.

This weekend is our open garden with the NGS another chance to show others our garden. 

Garlic

Each year we grow garlic, planting the tiny cloves in October.

They do like moisture but not drowning or they will rot. This year we grew Provence Wight garlic and elephant garlic. This is not a true garlic but from the leek family, but looks like giant garlic bulbs. A much milder taste than normal garlic.

The garlic should be ready to harvest when the leaves turn yellow, this is in June, much earlier than the shallots and onions which were also planted in October.

With the very wet winter and alternate days of very hot then much colder weather this Spring/ early summer , we wondered what they would be like.

It was a good harvest, decent sized bulbs and the elephant garlic are the biggest we have ever grown.

We probably should have harvested a couple of weeks earlier as many of the cloves are separating but they will still taste as good.

                                            Elephant garlic

                                            Garlic Provence Wight, plaited to store.

                The soft fruit is ripening really quickly so picking every few days